Recipes and tips from a mid-western Mom, Sister, Aunt and Grandma mixed with stories of family life and food shared and handed down from generation to generation upon request! My recipes are indexed on, Very Good Recipes.

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2/15/15

Sewing a Gentleman's Eye Compress and Eliminating My Pile of Mending

Gentleman's Eye Compress

I have been given a project by our middle son Mike. He has asked me to make an eye compress for a friend. The description was much too colorful to elaborate on here but suffice to say he needed two pouches to hold rice connected in the center. You see his friend's eye doctor described this to be microwaved a few minutes and used warm across both eyes as a remedy for tired dry eyes. I am happy to give this a whirl!

The top one is more practical as the larger amount of rice will hold the warmth longer.

First I selected a soft cotton flannel fabric and laundered and dried it. Next I traced two sizes using tailor's chalk, a wide mouth jar lid, and a small saucer as patterns. I was uncertain what size I would end up with after sewing and filling the pouches with rice. As it turned out the larger is more practical as the larger amount of rice holds the warmth longer.

I will leave the opening to turn the compress right side out LARGER the next time.

Next I double stitched around the edge with the right sides facing each other 1/4" from the raw edge. I left an opening not stitched at the bridge large enough to turn the compress right side out. The next time I will leave the opening larger for ease of turning.

A quick trip to the kitchen for a funnel and a bag of rice and I was near to completion. After filling the two sides with a comfortable amount of rice I hand stitched a double row across the opening to close and for added strength. The bridge width can be adjusted by lightly twisting to shorten the length of the connecting strip as needed.

Just microwave a couple of minutes to warm and you are all set to relax!

My stack of mending projects was 5 deep!

Mother always had a stack of mending to do. Much more than I do as many items nowadays don't hold up long enough to mend. I wonder does anyone else out there mend? It Is not a phrase I have heard anyone use in years.

Possibles Bag

After making the compress I thought I would clean up my stack so I repaired a friend of my husband's "possibles" bag. (A utility type bag men use/carry when shooting cap and ball type firearms as a hobby.) The strap was loose so I stitched it back!

Next I cut off a pair of our grandson's PJ's with the knee out and hemmed them. Good as new! Now I am in the backstretch...with only my husband's long underwear to mend and a button to match and sew onto a pair of slacks. And now he mending is done until the next time.

I find it interesting how many different things we are asked to make when people know we sew. I have a friend who was asked to sew a hammock for a ferret. I have been asked to make cannonball bags. I think your eye compress turned out very nice and I'm sure it will be appreciated.